Why Cover Crops are A LOT EASIER to manage than you think!

A lot of people get intimidated by growing cover crops in the garden or on the homestead. While they might seem like a lot of work, they are actually a lot less work than you think.

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[charlesschwaboverhere]

There is a man who helps gardeners. Diego is his name, bro.

[dannyhughes]

A thing that attracts me to this site is firstly the good info that always comes my way and importantly .... there is no idiotic, repetitive and distracting background [sometimes well to the fore] Music that too many seem to think is a necessary part of holding viewers attention.
Thanks.

[stevenstillwell-NC]

Cover cropping for the first time this year, buckwheat. It will be cut down, then my usual practice of a few inches of grass clippings, a few inches of chopped leaves with cardboard held in place with bricks (the tarp). Added the cover crop to pull mineral traces back up to the surface, the extra plant material is a bonus.

[chrischandler]

6:08 This should have been when Diego did the mic drop! lol Love the way you put the humor into cover crops man... :-)

[Farmynator]

I've been thinking of putting cover crops just now and your vid pops up, the universe provides, thanks! 👏😃

[peterv]

You sir, are my new favorite youtube gardener. I just absolutely love your approach, style and the presentation of your videos. Thank you!

[PhilKJames]

I’ve used covers all season. Super easy to manage

[gavinjones]

Trying to revive an acre, which was biologically dead, I stressed out about what to select as cover crops. Then I stressed out about how to terminate each crop to get maximum benefit to the soil, without letting it go to seed.
Now I wish that I'd just let them all go to seed, to continue building soil. If I want an area to grow a crop, I just clear that section.
It really is so much easier than I thought.

[donavinnezar]

I am looking into doing some winter rye as a cover crop this winter (we only get frost and temps as low as 0c)
Other thing
Im growing in pots

My summer crop is cannabis

[doncook]

I shut down about October 1 to pursue archery deer hunting. I plant covers for the reasons you mentioned. I seed it and walk away.

[paulsr.dicrispino]

A weed wacker is a good way to cut your cover crop in a small garden. It gets down to the soil. Add some compost wait and see if the crop is gone.

[TheRahsoft]

I'm doing cover crops for my containers( started last year). I use crimson clover and let it grow until six weeks before I need the container. Then turf up the soil mixing the clover back into the soil. mix in a little worm castings. wet it and let it do its work. By the time I need the container its all broken down and released the nitrogen back into the soil..

Agree... tomorrow I’m puting mine on the ground. Turnips expecting to terminate mechanical before tarping with cardboard and mulch with compost. That’s the plan at least.

[jeremiahnatte]

I'm experimenting with cover crops for the first time this year. I tried using oats, and got terrible germination rates for some reason, I'm assuming the seed at the store was a bit old. Now I'm using tillage radish and wheat. I'm also sowing innoculated peas in an indoor bed to start living soil. Next year I'm going to use peas outdoors, some innoculated clover, tillage radish, maybe another wheat. I don't have a Jang seeder, since I use the square foot gardening method, but I do have a lawn seeder, and I'll probably use that.

[dustinb]

Weed slayer herbicide is omri listed and is amazing. It uses a clove extract and bacteria to kill the crop systemically and its doesn’t accumulate in the soil

[dans]

I love seeing stuff that I planted grow. Cover crops fit that. Weeds, not so much. The former helps prevent the latter! I just put in some cowpeas and buckwheat on a new banana circle last week. It's about 2-3" now. I will probably all winterkill in November. I'll cover it with a tarp until early spring when I'll find something else to plant until I get some banana pups. Probably peas or something to boost nitrogen more and prevent erosion... and keep the weeds under control.

[ndSprings]

Your illustration of step 3 was amazing!

[dietrevich]

Termination is definitely the biggest deterrent. It's all nice and dandy in the beginning and gardening is all you do, but in time is more of a hassle. I've learned to intercrop into my cover crop, easier, better productivity and soil organic matter grows faster.

[richards]

I've always broadcast seeds and jostled it in with a rake. Works a treat without the expense of a seeder. There may be cover crop species I don't typically use where another method is better though.

[fergyjenkins]

Thank you, I cover crop winter rye in 2 beds 100 x 100 feet, crimp in late spring surpresses weeds then plant pumpkins squish cucs in that area.
New to market gardening for love to absorb your information.